We should feel disappointed that the all-new Renault Koleos takes about 10 seconds to reach 100 km/h. But we know that all the big crossovers with 4-cylinder turbodiesel engines are the same.
The QM6 (same as Koleos II) has been launched in Korea today. It's a little weird, considering the Australians got it a few weeks ago, and production takes place in Busan, alongside a bunch of Nissans.
Anyway, finding out details about the Koleos II is a bit like stitching Frankenstein's wife together. You take bits from all over the place and add them together.
This particular test car weighs 1,760 kilograms, so the 2.0-liter diesel engine has a hard time. The official numbers released in Korea say the unit produces 177 PS at 3,750rpm (last time we checked Korea uses the metric system) and 38.7 kg-m of torque, equivalent to 380 Nm (280 lb-ft). So it's actually down in both regards compared to the 2.0 dCi found in the Laguna.
A 2WD version of the Koleos/QM6 will reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.4 seconds while this AWD model takes 9.6 seconds. If that sounds horribly slow, we can assure you that diesel versions of Santa Fe or Kia Sorento are about the same. Even the Volvo XC90 D4 takes 10.2 seconds. So big family SUV plus small diesel engine equals being slow.
Speed might not be one of them, but there are many areas where this is a superior vehicle to its predecessor. For example, not only is the interior much larger, but it's also of a higher quality. The Bose edition, for instance, has active noise cancellation.
We've learned that the gearbox installed on this model is called Xtronic, which means it's a new CVT. The "D-Step" system explains why it looks like it's changing gears.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News